The prior art protective device for a hypodermic needle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,009 issued Feb. 13, 1979. Related patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,876,770, issued Mar. 10, 1959; 2,925,083, issued Feb. 16, 1960; 2,937,643, issued May 24, 1960; 3,134,380 issued May 26, 1964; 3,406,687, issued Oct. 22, 1968; 4,160,450, issued July 10, 1979; and 4,642,099, issued Feb. 10, 1987.
The prior art protective device for a hypodermic needle, which has a syringe assembly that has a cylinder with a needle on the outside thereof and a piston on the inside thereof, is a bellows assembly, which covers the needle as the needle is moved into and out of the skin.
One problem with the prior art protective device for a hypodermic needle is that the protective device does not cover the puncture and the area of the skin disposed around the needle, so that an operator is not protected from any blood from the puncture or on such area of the skin.